The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a big game and you can easily miss some of its best quests if you don’t know where to look. In the same breath (of the wild) it’s also easy to get really overwhelmed trying to cut through the noise to find the good stuff. That’s what we’re here to talk about today. To set some ground rules, this is all content that is off the beaten path of the four main quests in Hyrule, so while some may be called main quests in the game’s adventure log, you should still do your best to to find them. Here are some of the best side missions worth seeking out The tears of the kingdom.
Take the camera
It’s actually kind of annoying that the camera isn’t just given to you early on, because who doesn’t love taking pictures of all their adventures in Hyrule? Who would spend hours in the paint shop getting the perfect cut and not want to show it off? If you want to unleash your inner photographer, go to Lookout Landing in the middle of the map and do the Camera Work in the Depths mission. In this mission, Link teams up with explorers Josha and Robbie to explore underground Hyrule. The mission is short and sweet, but ends with Robbie unlocking the Camera app for you so you can take all kinds of pretty pictures anywhere The tears of the kingdom. Do it early and if you need guidance, we’ve got you covered.
Get the last mysterious ability
After Robbie unlocks the camera for your Purah Pad, you’ll get a new quest called A Mystery in the Depths. As the name suggests, you’ll be going back to the Hyrule dungeon for this, and it will take a lot more time and effort than unlocking the camera. Josha will send you back to the Depths to follow a set of statues, each pointing to a different statue, eventually leading to a destination where you’ll unlock the final Ultrahand ability. We won’t spoil what it is for you, but suffice to say it will make building a lot easier going forward. Expect a boss fight at the end though. Not a challenge, but take some healing supplies and arrows down to the Deeps with you.
Make monstrous dioramas
While Hyrule Compendium gives you one reason to take pictures of enemies you run into The tears of the kingdom, there’s also a mission in Tarrey Town called Monstrous Collection that turns your photos into statues that you can arrange for your enjoyment. Kilton, by whom you will remember it Breath of the wild as a monster enthusiast, asks Link to take pictures of specific monsters he faces in Hyrule. After you bring those photos back, he’ll make the creatures whose photos you took into statues that can be placed in dioramas. It makes for great photos and gives you a reason to complete the Hyrule Compendium along the way. Just be ready for a jump in difficulty as the mission continues. You’ll start out taking pictures of minor threats, then quickly escalate into some of the game’s most evil enemies.
Spread the good news
One of the first things I did in The tears of the kingdom it was a job with the Lucky Clover Gazette. The paper investigates possible sightings of the titular princess, who disappears at the start of the game. I lucked out by stumbling across this 12-part questline on the outskirts of Rito Village because it’s a pretty in-depth tour of Hyrule and requires you to visit 12 stables all over the map. It’s a great framing device for seeing parts of the map and gives you a reason to search shrines and Skyview Towers for fast travel points. By the end, you’ll have a nice Rupee Egg, a Golden Horse, and a set of armor to help you climb without slipping in the rain. You’ll also have spent hours with Penn, the best reporter in all of Hyrule.
Democracy does not die when the princess disappears
Yes, Ganondorf is causing cataclysmic problems for the citizens of Hyrule, but there’s still time for local politics. The mayoral elections are one of the remarkable moments in the village of Hateno. It follows two candidates for the mayoral position of the village, one who represents the fashionable youth, and the current mayor, who has the community’s agribusiness interests at heart. Link eventually interacts with the two candidates in a series of quests and sees much of the Hateno’s cultural backbone in the process. While many side missions in The tears of the kingdom if you’re messing around on the map and sight-seeing, the Mayoral Elections are contained within the boundaries of the village of Hateno. It’s an intimate reminder that not everything Link faces is a Ganondorf-sized threat.
Lean on me when you’re not strong
The tears of the kingdom there are many collectibles all over the map between Korok seeds and shrine activations, but a new addition to the sequel is the inclusion of Addison, an avid carpentry advocate who does the most for Hudson, who runs a construction company in Hyrule. He holds up signs promoting the Hudson Restoration Program, which is attempting to rebuild Hyrule after Ganondorf’s destruction left the world in a state of ruin. Almost none of the signs are on solid ground, however, and Addison, unwilling to allow Hudson to be defied by the laws of gravity, holds them all by himself. But you, as an upstanding citizen, can help these signs stand up as well by using the Ultrahand ability on the materials next to each sign to prop it up so that Addison can give up and move on with her life.
They are a silly framework for an interesting microcosm of The tears of the kingdomDesign is to give you a problem and tell you to figure it out. No parameters, just tools at your disposal. They’re fun little puzzles all around Hyrule, and who doesn’t want to help Addison find a new hobby?
Put on a show for the Great Fairies
In accordance with Zelda tradition, Great Fae are good friends to have in Link’s corner as you travel around Hyrule. However, the giant magical ladies have since gone into hiding Breath of the wild, and only come back to the surface when they hear their favorite music. In the process of awakening the Great Fairies, you’ll also reunite the Stable Trotters, a group of musicians scattered across the map. There are four Great Fairies to find, but you’ll need to guide the members of the Stable Trotters to their bulb-like homes, usually by using the Ultrahand ability to fix their carts. The reward is wonderful music and an ally to upgrade your armor. Note, however, that in order to start these quests, you will need to go through some of the Lucky Clover Gazette quests.